Vase longevity guide

Make cut roses last 10+ days

Vase life is 80% technique, 20% variety. Get the first hour right and most roses will hold for a week and a half — even in an Australian summer.

1
Cut at the right moment
Cut in early morning or late evening when stems are fully turgid. Choose blooms one-third to half open — tight buds may never open in the vase, fully open blooms shatter within days.
2
Carry water to the garden
Take a clean bucket of tepid water with you. Plunge each stem the instant it's cut — every second in air pulls an air bubble up the stem that blocks water uptake.
3
Re-cut and condition
Back inside, re-cut every stem on a 45° angle under running water. Strip all foliage that would sit below the vase waterline. Rest stems in deep tepid water in a cool, dark spot for at least two hours before arranging.
4
Water chemistry matters
Use a clean vase and cool fresh water with either a commercial cut-flower food, or a homemade mix: 1 tsp sugar (food) + 1 tsp white vinegar (lowers pH, aids uptake) + 2 drops household bleach (stops bacteria) per litre.
5
Change water every 2 days
Every second day, tip the water, rinse the vase, re-cut 1 cm off each stem, and refill. This single habit typically doubles vase life.
6
Location, location, location
Keep the vase out of direct sun, away from heating/cooling vents, and away from the fruit bowl — ripening fruit releases ethylene, which ages cut flowers fast.

Don't crush or hammer woody rose stems — it damages xylem and shortens life.
Don't leave leaves in the water (bacteria bloom within hours).
Don't top up dirty water — always tip and refill.
Don't place near a bowl of ripening fruit or a bunch of daffodils (both release compounds that kill roses).